


The Clue in the Jewel Box

by Aurora_Mandeville



Series: Nancy Drew (Retelling) [3]
Category: Nancy Drew - Carolyn Keene
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:48:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29457015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurora_Mandeville/pseuds/Aurora_Mandeville
Series: Nancy Drew (Retelling) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1122996
Kudos: 1





	1. Searching for Presents

“Finally, we made it to the mall!” shouted Ida Topham throwing her arms up as if welcoming an old friend. Her twin sister Isabel, or Izzy for short, merely chuckled. The girls had come together with their friends, Helen Corning, Emily Crandall, and the owner and driver of the car, Nancy Drew. Nancy had finally found a parking spot and the girls were filing out of the car.   
“Oh come on, Ida, we live here now, it’s not like we would never come,” quipped Izzy.   
“And we are going to be bringing Katherine here as part of our tour of River Heights when she gets here,” pointed out Helen, “so you definitely would have had plenty of chances to come before school starts up again.”   
“I know, but I would like to know a bit about River Heights before Katherine gets here!” said Ida as the girls walked towards the mall.   
Helen scoffed as she patted Ida’s shoulder. “Once she finds out that you’ve moved here recently, I’m sure she would understand that you don’t know everything about River Heights yet.”   
Ida placed her hands on her hips. “I still would like to have some general knowledge about my new home town.”  
Helen laughed. “Fair point. Well then, let’s go!”   
Ida wrapped her arms around Helen's arm and pointed forward. “Onward!” The others laughed as they followed Helen and Ida into the mall. Nancy, Helen, and Emily were excited to show their new friends their favorite stores as they looked through them to find some good presents to get for Katherine. Though Nancy had a sneaking suspicion that they were using the chance to get presents for her as well. Her birthday was well on its way! Nancy grinned. She couldn't wait! George and Bess would be back in a couple of days, and her father got the call yesterday that her mother's family were heading that way. There was still no word from her father's sister, Eloise, but she hadn't missed it yet.   
She pursed her lips as they dashed into another store, she did hope that Richard Matthews got the all right from his mother to let her solve his mystery. She so wanted to solve a third mystery by the time her grandparents arrived. Her grandfather always said that her grandmother was a magnet for adventure, to which her grandmother would just remind him that he was too. It was one reason why they got married. And it had apparently passed on to their children, and now Nancy hoped it had passed to her as well. Either way, something interesting always happened when her grandparents were in town, she figured this time would be no different.   
“Ooh, look at this lovely stationery set!” Helen held up a set of cards, paper, and a pen, all marked with a watercolor of a ballerina. Ever since they had found out Katherine's mother and uncle ran a ballet school, their eyes were always drawn to ballet-related items. Nancy just hoped that wasn't going to be the majority of what they got. Katherine was sure to be interested in more than just ballet.  
“It is lovely!” exclaimed Ida.   
“But are we really going to get everything that's related to ballet?” Izzy asked. “I'm sure Katherine has other interests.”   
Nancy smiled. “I agree. Helen, is there anything else you can think of that she would like?”   
“And what about her younger sister? I'm sure she would like to be included as well,” said Emily. “She's not much younger than we are, right?”   
“Right,” said Helen, “she's only fourteen. I don't know if we know of many people that age.”   
“Doesn't Richard have a couple siblings that are about her age?” asked Nancy.   
Emily rubbed her chin. “I think so. I’ll ask the next time they come over.”   
“Thanks Emily! Now, since Izzy brought it up, yes, Katherine has other interests. As a matter of fact . . .” Helen walked over to another shelf and picked up a Sleeping Beauty figurine. “She does like Sleeping Beauty a lot. As well as flowers, parks, birds, fashion, and . . . oh!” Helen’s eyes widened. “She likes scrapbooking! We should get her a scrapbook and paper and, oh, everything!”   
“There you go!” cheered Nancy. “You do think of the best presents!”   
“Only when I’m in the mall,” said Helen with a wink.   
Nancy laughed. “And when you actually stop to think instead of being dazzled by everything in here!”   
“What? I can’t help it. There are so many cool stores in here!” The others laughed. “Come on, I know the best place for scrapbooking supplies! Even if you aren’t into scrapbooking, I swear this place will get you somewhat interested. There are a bunch of cool supplies and pretty papers!”   
“Awesome!” said Izzy.   
“Let’s go!” said Ida.   
“But what about Katherine’s younger sister?” asked Emily.   
Helen rubbed her chin. “Oh she’s definitely into the ballet. Oh! Maybe a diary would work for her!”   
“Where can we get those?” asked Ida.   
Helen grinned. “In the exact same store.”   
“Perfect! Now let’s go!” said Ida. The girls followed Helen out of the store.   
Nancy’s attention was drawn towards the opposite store, her eyes falling upon several signs advertising great presents for Father’s Day. “Oh!”   
The girls paused and Helen looked at her. “What is it, Nancy?”   
“I want to go in here and look for a present for Dad. Still can’t believe tomorrow is Father’s day.”   
Helen patted her back. “Hey, you’ve been busy solving mysteries, it only makes sense that you weren’t paying attention to that. But you go on in, you can meet us at Ames and Mardel when you’re finished. Or, if we get finished before you -”   
“Unlikely,” said Emily and Izzy at the same time. They grinned at each other before turning that grin on Helen.   
Helen rolled her eyes and sighed. “Anyways, if we get done before you, we’ll wait for you in the food court.”   
Nancy chuckled. “Sounds like a plan. See you in a bit!”   
“See you!” The girls waved at each other before going their separate ways. Nancy ducked into the department store. She perused the shelves. There were hundreds of exquisite trinkets, models, and the like, what one would expect to see when searching for a gift for fathers, but nothing seemed to stick out at her, nothing seemed like the perfect gift for her father. And she really wanted it to be perfect. After her father was rescued from the maze between Twin Elms and Lilac Inn, she just wanted to keep him at home and shower him with all the love she could muster. Though he did warn she would get tired of seeing his annoying face after a week, with Hannah following that up with a quip about it only taking until after Nancy’s birthday before that happened. But Nancy felt she would never get tired of it. She had already lost one parent, she had no desire to lose the other.   
She pursed her lips as she continued to browse the store, looking over each piece carefully, but her mind wandered to other things. How did the Hardys do it? Their father had been kidnapped in their very first mystery, in fact the reason why they had to step in and help their mother solve the case. Was it because Mr. Hardy was a detective and they were all used to the dangers surrounding that position? Carson was a lawyer, and while lawyers do get their fair share of threats and the like, it seemed like it was far less severe than that of a detective. At least, Nancy figured as such, based on her own recent experiences. Even though the most recent mystery she solved did include her father getting kidnapped. But she wondered if that was to be more of a recurrence for the Hardys than for her. She wasn’t sure if she could handle that, not again.   
“Excuse me, ma’am, is there anything I can help you with?” One of the sales associates had approached her and gave her a warm smile.   
She smiled back. “Oh yes, unfortunately I haven’t been able to find anything for my father. And unfortunately I do have an idea, but it’s one of those things that I won’t know for sure until I see it.”   
The sales associate chuckled. “I hear you. Did you see anything on the shelves?”   
Nancy glanced around at those shelves, shaking her head. “No, I didn’t.”   
“Well, if you will follow me to the front, there are a few more things at the counter I could show you.”   
Nancy beamed. “Thank you very much!”   
“You’re welcome!” The associate turned and led her to the front counter. It was covered in glass. Several more expensive items could be seen laid out artistically to attract eyes. Nancy bit her lip. Could she even afford any of these? Then again, nothing was popping out at her either.   
The associate unlocked the doors behind the counter and took out a couple of pieces. One was a silver pen, the other a tie clasp. “No sophisticated man would ever be without one of these beauties,” he said.   
Nancy hid her wince behind a smile. “Oh, right, uh, thank you, but due to my father’s profession, he has plenty of both.”   
“Oh! I’m sorry, I should have asked about that. Here, give me a second.” He picked up the two pieces before walking to another part of the counter. He came back with an ornate case. He began to brighten when Nancy’s eyes widened. “This is just the thing for your father to keep all those pens and tie clasps together.” He handed it to Nancy.   
“Well, it is lovely,” said Nancy, her fingers gently touching each carved piece. The entire thing looked like it was made of silver with gold embellishments and jewels, depicting a forest with deer, rabbits, a fox, and a deer. She pursed her lips. “But it’s really not my father’s style. He’d prefer something less showy. A lot less showy.”   
The sales associate pursed his lips. Nancy could tell he was determined to get a sale. And unfortunately, she was determined not to buy, even more so now. “Well, this was stated to be a fairly rare piece from Europe, originally owned by a duke!”   
Nancy snorted. “Oh, I’m sorry, but that’s not something that my father really cares about. Nor do I, to be honest. Thank you for wanting to share its history, I’m sure it has a wonderful history. But it might be waiting around for the right person who will appreciate it for its history. My father’s just not that kind of man, unfortunately. Thank you, though, for showing me all of this. I think it’s helped me grasp a better idea of what I’m looking for. Thank you again, and have a great day!” Nancy quickly waved and walked out of the store, not wanting to give the young man another chance to try and sell her anything else. She let out a huff as she paused by the doors separating the store from the rest of the mall. She was pretty sure that they weren’t finished at Ames and Mardel just yet, but she wanted a bit of alone time before meeting up with them. Plus, she wanted to get a quick drink from the fountain by the restrooms. So she went that way.   
However, since it was a warm June day, there was a line of people at the fountain. Nancy glanced around the food court for a place to sit while she waited, and found an empty table near an elderly lady. Nancy chose the spot specifically because the woman was dressed rather elegantly, and somewhat old-fashioned. She held herself in a way that reminded Nancy of the Queen of England. Just her whole person seemed to give off an aura of royalty. Who was she? True, Nancy didn’t know everyone in River Heights, but this woman definitely looked out of place here.   
The next second, Nancy let out a startled gasp. The woman teetered in her seat, and fell forward!


	2. The Wealthy Tenant

Nancy caught the woman before she fell to the floor. She quickly glanced around to see if anyone would help or if any of her relatives were nearby, but no one seemed to pay them much attention. Nancy gently righted the woman back into her chair. The woman came to with a start, though she was still battling to keep her eyes open.   
“Oh, oh my. Th-thank you, young lady. I-I . . . oh, can you call me a cab? I must - I must get to my room.”   
“Your room? Are you staying at a hotel?”   
The woman nodded slowly. “Yes, yes, I-” The woman seemed to have fainted again. Nancy bit her lip as she made sure to keep the woman from falling again. Where was she staying? Sure, this wasn’t Chicago, but River Heights still had its fair share of hotels. It would take a little while until she narrowed it down. But right now, it seemed to be her best option. She gasped, she needed to let her friends know, and they could help her narrow them down! Keeping a firm hand on the lady, Nancy reached into her purse, pulled out her phone, and called Helen.   
“Hey Nancy! Where are you? We’re just about finished!”   
“Good, I have a lady here in the food court who needs to get to her hotel room, but she’s fainted before she could tell me where she’s staying!”   
“What? Oh my! We’re checking out right now, we’ll meet you there right away! Oh, as a matter of fact, Izzy and Emily aren’t getting anything. I’ll send them to help you!”   
“Thank you!” Nancy hung up her phone and quickly threw it back in her purse. She turned back to the woman. What could she do to help her? She looked around for the woman’s purse. Maybe there was something in there to give her an idea of what she needed to do, or something to give her. Just anything. She found it under the woman’s chair and picked up quickly. She paused. Should she really look through the purse? Nancy glanced at the woman’s face. Did she really have a choice? Letting out a huff, Nancy began to rummage through the woman’s purse. She pulled out the woman’s wallet. There was an I.D. in there with the name Marie Alexandra. But it was the picture of a little boy, about one year old, with an adorable smile, twinkling blue eyes, and dressed in a sailor’s uniform that caught Nancy’s interest. The picture looked old and faded, but in good condition.  
A soft moaning prompted her to return the wallet to the purse. The woman was coming back around! A sharp gasp also caught Nancy’s attention. She swiveled her head to find Izzy and Emily looking at her.   
“Why, why that’s Mrs. Alexandra!” said Emily.   
“She’s staying at Lilac Inn?” asked Nancy, her eyes widening.   
Emily bobbed her head. “Yes! She’s the wealthy woman who’s staying in the master suite!”   
Nancy sighed with relief. “Oh thank goodness! I was sure we would have to call every hotel in town to find out where she’s staying!”   
“But I wonder why she’s here, or even how she got here,” asked Emily.   
“We’ll ask her when she’s able to answer us. Right now we should get her back to the Inn. Can you help me get her to my car?”   
“Oh, of course!” chorused Izzy and Emily. They rushed to the table.   
Nancy tried to wake Mrs. Alexandra up. She moaned a little and her eyelids tried to open.   
“Mrs. Alexandra?” said Nancy. “Mrs. Alexandra? Can you stay awake long enough to get my car?”   
Mrs. Alexandra grabbed Nancy’s arm. “Louise, oh Louise, my precious Louise!”   
“Mrs. Alexandra, we’re going to get you to the Lilac Inn,” said Nancy. “But we need you to walk a bit. Can you do that?”   
The woman seemed to become more alert and nodded feebly. “Oh, oh yes, I-I think so.”   
“Good. These are my friends, they’re going to help, alright?”   
The woman merely nodded and tried to stand. Izzy stepped in to help Nancy support the woman, while Emily grabbed her purse as well as Nancy’s. Emily took care of the doors on the way out and between the three of them, managed to get the woman situated into Nancy’s car.   
Nancy bit her lip as she glanced around at the seats. “Hmm, there’s not going to be enough room for everyone.”   
Izzy scoffed. “I don’t think Helen and Ida are going to mind spending a little bit more time in the mall.”   
“Oh I know they won’t,” said Nancy as a twinkle came into her blue eyes, “but their father’s bank accounts might.”   
Izzy chuckled. “Oh, no argument there.”   
“But then what should we do?” asked Emily.   
Nancy thought quickly. “Izzy, call Ida and tell her we’re taking Mrs. Alexandra to Lilac Inn and we’ll be back in about thirty minutes. Emily, call Lilac Inn and explain the situation to Jane. Maybe ask her to have the maid ready when we get there.”   
“On it!”   
Izzy and Emily got into the back of the car on either side of Mrs. Alexandra while Nancy quickly slid behind the wheel. “Are we ready?”   
“All buckled!” called out Emily. Izzy gave Nancy a thumbs up as she put her phone to her ear.   
“Great! Hang on!” Nancy pulled out of the parking lot and drove as quickly as she could from the mall to Lilac Inn. Along the way, Izzy and Emily made their calls as Nancy had asked. Ida and Helen, as predicted, did not have any problems with staying at the mall, but asked them to hurry it up so they could have lunch together. Jane told Emily she would be waiting with Mrs. Alexandra’s maid in the entry. Meanwhile, the woman kept going in and out of consciousness, muttering about Louise, Michael, and Louise again. Nancy’s heart ached for the woman. She could hear the anguish in her voice when she muttered those names, and so lovingly too. She wondered if Michael was the little boy in the picture she saw in Mrs. Alexandra’s wallet. What had happened to her family?   
As soon as Nancy pulled into the parking lot of Lilac Inn, Jane came outside, followed by the maid and Gil Gary. Working together, they got Mrs. Alexandra into the sitting room and laid her down on one of the couches. The maid, Anna, went to work reviving her mistress. In a couple of minutes, Mrs. Alexandra was sitting up, eating some soup.   
“Thank you so so much for getting me here,” said Mrs. Alexandra, giving Nancy a kind but wane smile. She turned to Izzy and Emily and told them the same. “Please let me know what I can do to repay you.”   
Nancy waved her hand. “Oh no need! I’m just glad you’re alright, Mrs. Alexandra.”   
Mrs. Alexandra shook her head. “Please, I insist. I want to do something for you.”   
“Well, I can’t exactly think of anything right now,” said Nancy slowly.   
Mrs. Alexandra patted her hand. “Then we’ll talk about yours later.” She turned to Izzy and Emily. “And what about you two? What will you accept?”   
Izzy shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve got whatever I could ask for.”   
“Same here,” said Emily, “and, well, I wouldn’t know what I could ask of you either.”   
Mrs. Alexandra smiled again, this time more strongly. “Well, I have a whole assortment of trinkets and odds and ends that I have been selling to Mr. Faber. It’s why I’m here, actually. I have so many things! Perhaps you would like one of those?”   
Nancy leaned in, excitement sneaking into her voice. “Really? Would you happen to have anything that could work for a present for a father?”   
Mrs. Alexandra thought for a moment before slowly shaking her head. “No, no I do not, unfortunately. But, I can send you to Mr. Faber, perhaps he may have just the thing you’re looking for.”   
“Maybe he does! I’ve never been to his store,” said Nancy. “I’ve never even heard of him until now.”   
“My goodness, that must be rectified immediately! Anna, please go get one of Mr. Faber’s cards from my other purse.”   
Anna gave a little curtsy. “Right away, Madame.” She left the room and dashed up the stairs.   
“Mr. Faber has a lot of antique pieces and is always getting more. If you can’t find something when you go in today, perhaps he will find something later.”   
“Oh man, I hope it’s today,” said Izzy, “seeing as how Father’s Day is tomorrow.”   
Mrs. Alexandra glanced at Izzy before turning to Nancy in shock. “What? Whyever did you wait so long?”   
“It wasn’t her fault, really,” said Emily. “Nancy’s a detective and she was solving the mystery of my grandmother’s house.” Emily paused and pursed her lips as she glanced at Nancy. “And, and her father was being held a prisoner in the tunnels that connect my grandmother’s house to this Inn.”   
Mrs. Alexandra turned from Emily to Nancy with wide eyes. “Really?”   
“Yes, and before that, she was working on finding our inheritance,” said Izzy, indicating herself and Emily. “My great-uncle left us his estate and all his wealth, and Nancy was making sure some cocky, incompetent crooks didn’t get away with it.”   
“Oh yes, she’s absolutely amazing!” cheered Emily.   
Nancy blushed slightly. “Oh goodness! I had loads of help!”   
“But you still pieced everything together and found it!” said Emily.   
“Madame, the card,” said Anna.   
Nancy noticed Mrs. Alexandra seemed to come out of deep thought before taking the card from Anna. “Oh, yes, thank you Anna.” Mrs. Alexandra pulled a pen out of her purse and wrote something on the back of the card. “Give this to Mr. Faber. He’ll know that I sent you.” She handed Nancy the card with a smile. “I do hope you find something for your father soon. And, and if you could, come here tomorrow afternoon for tea? Your friends are invited as well.”   
“Oh, thank you so much! And I accept.”   
“I work here, so I kind of have no choice in the matter,” said Emily with a chuckle.   
“I’ll answer for my sister as well as myself, we’ll be here,” said Izzy.   
“Oh, you have a sister?” asked Mrs. Alexandra.   
Izzy nodded. “Yes ma’am, she’s at the mall with another friend of ours. Which, speaking of, they’re probably wondering where we are.”   
“Right, we should head back. But first, may she come as well?” asked Nancy.   
Mrs. Alexandra smiled. “If she wishes, yes. And thank you again for your help!”   
Nancy grasped the woman’s hands. “And thank you for this recommendation. I hope the rest of your day goes much better, and we’ll see you tomorrow!”   
Mrs. Alexandra smiled. Nancy noticed that the smile went all the way into her blue eyes. “Thank you, I think it already is much better.”   
The girls said goodbye to her and Jane before dashing back out to the car and rushing back to the mall. They met up with Ida and Helen and told them about the whole adventure as they ate lunch.   
“Why, what a way to meet a wealthy lady,” said Ida. “And what a way to meet the best detective in River Heights!”   
Nancy waved off the compliment. “Nonsense, I’m not the best!”   
“I said in River Heights,” said Ida.   
“Yes, yes, I know what you said. But really girls, all this talk about me being the best when I’ve only solved two mysteries isn’t warranted!”   
“Alright, alright, we’ll call you the best after you’ve solved your third mystery. Happy?”   
Nancy rolled her eyes, but her lips were beginning to curl into a smirk. “At least five, come on.” The group burst out laughing before turning to talk about plans for Katherine and her family. After they finished their meal, they loaded their purchases into the trunk and headed straight over to Mr. Faber’s. Nancy bit her lip when she pulled into the tiny parking lot of the building. No wonder she had never known this was here, the store was practically hidden by the shopping center next door. There weren’t any flashing lights to announce the position of the store, so most would have passed it up quite easily if they weren’t looking for it.   
“Wow, I guess this store is just one of the many secrets of River Heights,” said Helen as they got out of the car. “I never knew this was here!”   
Izzy snorted. “And of course, Nancy’s the one to find it.”   
Nancy scoffed. “I wouldn’t have found it either if Mrs. Alexandra hadn’t told me about it!” She glanced at the store. “Though I do wonder how he manages to stay open. It doesn’t look like there are many people walking around in there.”   
“His prices might be pretty high,” quipped Ida.   
Nancy paled. “R-right, well, I hope I can find something within my price range for Dad.”   
Izzy patted her on her back. “Your luck hasn’t run out yet. Come on, let’s see what we can find.”   
Helen nudged Ida on their way in. “Looks like you’re finding out more on your tour of River Heights than those of us who live here!”   
Ida fistpumped. “Yes!” The others laughed.   
“Excuse me,” muttered a man as he walked past them out of the store.   
“Excuse us,” chorused the girls as they walked in.   
Emily gasped when she glanced at the shelves. “Oh, oh my, this place, oh this place is wonderful!” The shelves were full of the most unique antiques the girls had ever seen, and all were arranged artistically. “Mom would have loved this,” she whispered.   
Nancy turned to her. Emily’s eyes were beginning to fill with tears. “Are you alright?” asked Nancy.   
Emily sniffed as she quickly pulled out some tissue to wipe her eyes and nose with. “I, I’ll be fine.”   
Nancy placed an arm around her shoulders. “If you need to take a moment, I can take you back to the car or give you the keys.”   
Emily smiled. “Thanks Nance, I’ll let you know if I need to head out for a moment.”   
Nancy nodded. “Alright.”   
“Well come on, let’s explore!” said Helen. They spread out, looking over each piece carefully. Nancy, however, went towards the counter. She wanted to give Mr. Faber the card before she forgot. On her way there, she stepped on something. Bending over, she picked up from under her foot. It was a wallet. She opened it to find some identification, and gasped. In it was the exact same picture of the little boy that Mrs. Alexandra had!


	3. Mr. Faber's Help

Nancy pursed her lips, she wasn’t quite sure though. She had taken a quick look at the photo, but the two looked so similar that it was eerie. Especially seeing the same photo, or at least what looked like the same photo on the same day. What was going on? Her eyes began to brighten with curiosity. Perhaps she might get her third mystery after all, and she might be able to work on Richard’s with the help of her grandparents! Provided Mrs. Matthews gave her consent.  
Nancy took a quick glance around the store. Her friends were still perusing the shelves and it looked like there was someone moving around in the back, probably Mr. Faber himself. She glanced back at the wallet. The Albany driver’s license advertised the name Francis Baum with the picture of a blonde, blue-eyed, twenty-three year-old man. In fact, he looked like he could be the older version of the boy in the picture, but something seemed off to Nancy, something in the back of her mind was nagging at her, and she couldn’t quite place her finger on it. And that irritated her. But she gave it no more thought, she had to find the man! She turned and rushed out the door.   
“Please don't be gone yet, please don't be gone yet,” she whispered. There was another vehicle parked in the parking lot. She dashed towards it. The man was sitting in the front, on his phone. She tapped on the window. He glanced up, and was surprised at seeing her.   
He rolled down his window. “Can I help you?”   
Nancy held up his wallet. “I believe this is yours.”   
He blinked before checking his back pocket. “Oh, oh, why, it is!” He shot her a smile, she thought it looked kind of forced as he reached out and took the wallet from her. “Thank you so much for finding it, Miss . . .?”   
Nancy smiled. “Nancy Drew.”   
He held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Nancy. I'm Francis Baum. And really, I do appreciate it. Couldn't exactly go far without my cards, huh?”   
Nancy chuckled softly. “No, I guess not.”   
“Speaking of cards, here’s mine,” he said, pulling out a card and handing it to her. “I run an art studio and employ several artists, one of whom I’m heading to Chicago to meet at the airport in a bit. My girlfriend in fact. If you’re looking for art, call me. We both have portfolios we could show you, or even give you art lessons, if you’d like.”   
“Why, why thank you! I just might! I’m looking for a present for my father, but I haven’t exactly found the right one just yet. That’s why I’m here, in fact, to see if I can find him something.”   
Francis arched an eyebrow. “Cutting it a little close, huh?”   
Nancy chuckled nervously. “We’ve both been so busy it snuck up on me this year.”   
Francis chuckled. “Fair point. Well, if you don’t find anything, or if you still want to take a look at artwork for his birthday or a Christmas present down the road, definitely call me! I won’t be able to see you later today because, like I just mentioned, I’m heading into Chicago to pick up my girlfriend, but I can squeeze you in tomorrow if you don’t find anything today.”   
“Oh, thank you so much! I certainly hope I won’t have to, but I’ll be calling, just the same. I know my father is looking for some art to go into his office.”   
Francis beamed. “Excellent! Well then, maybe I should come on by tomorrow anyways!”  
“If you don’t mind! I will have to let my father and our housekeeper know, but I think they wouldn’t mind having you over for dinner.”   
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to impose …”   
Nancy waved her hand. “Oh nonsense, Hannah enjoys fussing over new people. It will be just us, the chief of police, and his mother, a couple more is no big deal.”   
“The chief of police, eh?” he asked, a hint of nervousness.   
“Oh, he’s a big ole softie when he’s off duty,” said Nancy, though she was beginning to wonder if inviting him was such a good idea after all.  
“Good to know. Well, unless you call and say otherwise, my girlfriend and I will be there. Where and when?”   
“Oh, right!” Nancy pulled out a pad of paper and a pen and wrote down her address and the time dinner would be served. She tore the piece of paper out and handed it to him.   
“Thank you. And thank you again for returning my wallet!”   
“I feel like I ought to thank you. You’re helping me find something for my father!”   
Francis chuckled. “Well, as they say, one good deed deserves another. I really should be going. See you tomorrow! Unless otherwise noted.”  
Nancy chuckled. “I will call you by nine tonight should anything change. See you tomorrow!” Francis rolled up his window and gave her a quick wave before starting up the car and leaving the parking lot. Nancy had returned the wave and watched him go. She let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Lord.” She rushed back into the store and found that her friends were all at the counter, chatting away with a middle-aged man. He had a pair of glasses pushed up on his head.   
“Nancy! Where have you been?” asked Helen as she crossed her arms.   
“Oh, the gentleman who came out of the store when we came in had dropped his wallet. I managed to catch him before he left.”   
“That’s excellent! Thank you very much, young lady!”   
“You’re welcome, Mr. Faber, I presume?”   
The gentleman beamed and nodded as he shook her hand. “Indeed I am!”   
“Wonderful! I’m Nancy Drew, pleasure to meet you. I was told to give this to you,” said Nancy, pulling out the card and handing it to Mr. Faber.   
“Ah! So you help return a lost wallet and an old friend of mine? You are a very kind lady.”   
Nancy blushed slightly at the praise. “Oh, just doing the right thing.”   
“What is it you are looking for?”   
“A present for my father for Father’s day,” she replied with a wince. “I know it’s such short notice, but I haven’t been able to look around that much and Mrs. Alexandra thought you might be able to help.”   
“And I just might. What does your father like?”   
Nancy thought for a moment before rattling off a list of things that her father enjoyed and many of his favorites. Mr. Faber nodded after each item, his brows deepening with thought. When Nancy finished giving him the list, he simply stood in place, deep in thought, for several minutes.   
He raised a finger. “Give me a minute.” He stepped out from behind the counter and perused the shelves. He came back to the counter, muttering, “It may be the only thing.”   
“What is?” asked Nancy as they watched him go back around the counter. He held up his finger as he reached under the counter. He straightened up, a handsome leather and silver case in his hands. The front piece was of a lovely piece of artwork, showing hunters chasing a fox. Nancy’s friends oohed and aahed over the piece while Nancy could only look at it in shock. This was it! This was definitely the piece she was looking for for her father!   
She held out her hands. “May I?”   
“Of course!” Mr. Faber put it into her hands without hesitation. “From the look on your face, I think I have hit the nail on the head, no?”   
Nancy laughed. “I think you may have! It’s simply marvellous! And in Dad’s style!” But she looked it over, and nearly gasped with shock at the price. Though, it should have come at no surprise that such a piece was priced at a thousand dollars. It was exquisite. “Though, um, I don’t think I can get this right now,” she told him, her spirits sinking.   
Mr. Faber chuckled. “Ah, but I’m not finished! Since you helped both Mrs. Alexandra and that young man, I will sell it to you at half price!”   
Nancy gasped. “Oh, I couldn’t!”   
Mr. Faber held up his hand. “I think it is only fair. Besides, I’ve had this since my father made it.”   
“Oh, then I really shouldn’t …”   
Mr. Faber burst out laughing. “Oh no no, you misunderstand! My father made this to sell! It has been here a very long time. It is time it went to a good home. And with a daughter like you, I’m sure Mr. Drew will be the best person to appreciate my father’s work and to use it well. Also, if you need time to pay it off, give me what you can now and pay the rest when you can.”   
“Oh, you are such a dear! Sold!” Nancy chuckled nervously. “Though, being able to pay it in chunks might be better.”   
“How much would you like to do now?”   
“Hmm, give me a second. If you don’t mind.”   
“Of course!”   
Nancy pulled out her phone and checked her bank account. She bit her lip. She wasn’t going to be getting her allowance until her birthday, and she had to make sure she would have enough for gas, as well as other presents, food and treats for Togo, and for herself if she wanted, and her father always suggested having a bit left over in case of emergencies. She glanced up at Mr. Faber, wincing slightly. “Would a hundred work for now? I’ll be able to pay more, if not all of it off, with my next allowance.”   
Mr. Faber held out his hand. “Deal.”   
Nancy shook his hand. “Deal. Thank you so so much!”   
“Thank you! I know my father’s work is going to a good home.” Mr. Faber rang up her order, wrapped up the case, and bagged it. He wrote on the receipt the total she still had to pay before putting it in the bag.   
“Thank you again, Mr. Faber, this has been a Heaven-send!” exclaimed Nancy as she took the bag.   
“Glad to have been of service! Is there anything else you need?”   
Emily held up a finger. “Mr. Faber?”   
“Yes?”   
“There is a piece I am interested in, but there's no price on it.”   
Mr. Faber blinked. “Really? I usually get everything priced!”  
“It's possible it fell off,” said Izzy. “Another item was missing its price sticker, but I found it stuck to the shelf.”   
“I had thought of that, but I couldn't find it,” said Emily.   
Mr. Faber nodded. “It is very possible it was kicked around or taken out of the store on another item.” He stepped out from behind the counter. “I shall take a look. And to let you know, the half-off applies to all of you.”   
“Really?” chorused the girls.   
“Don't tempt my sister,” said Izzy with a wink.   
Ida huffed and flipped her curly hair over her shoulder. “Too late.” The others laughed. They followed Emily to the piece she was talking about. The laughs switched to cries of wonder and delight. The piece Emily wanted was an elegantly carved miniature lilac tree with bunnies frolicking in its shade and songbirds perched on its branches.   
“Ah, you have good taste! Another of my father's work … to sell,” he added with a grin at Nancy.   
Nancy laughed. “I know, I know, heirlooms wouldn't be in the store.”   
“Exactly,” said Mr. Faber with a wink. He turned to the tree and picked it up. “But this one has a particular story attached to it. Have you ever heard of a country called Centrovia?”   
“Why yes! My pen pal lives there!” exclaimed Helen. “She and her family are arriving in town on Monday!”   
Mr. Faber glanced at her, an eyebrow arched. “Really?”   
Helen bobbed her head. “Yes, Katherine Kovna!”   
Mr. Faber broke into a grin. “Ah, I know the name! A good family. You must bring her by!”   
“Will do!”   
“Wonderful! So you at least know of it. But what many don't know is that the royal family had a summer estate that was surrounded by lilacs. And I mean surrounded. There were lilacs galore! As such, it became one of the country's symbols. My father made this honor of the royal family. The songbirds for previous Kings and queens, the bunnies for the family that was growing at the time my father made this.” Nancy noticed with curiosity how a sad look flickered over the man’s face.  
“Oh wow, then having the Kovnas stay at Lilac Inn is almost like a taste of home for them!” exclaimed Helen.   
Mr. Faber glanced between the girls. “They are staying at Lilac Inn?”   
Emily smiled. “Yes, and that’s why I want to get this. It’s my Inn.”   
Mr. Faber’s eyes widened. “Why, then yes, this really must belong there!” He pursed his lips. “Hmm, but what would be a good price for this? Like the case for Mr. Drew, it has been here for quite some time.” He tapped his chin before glancing at Emily. “Will fifty dollars work?”   
Emily’s eyes widened. “Well, I mean, it could, but that seems so cheap for something so wonderfully made!”   
“Ah, but did I not tell you everything in the store is half-off for all of you? So technically it would be a hundred dollars. Not that cheap.”   
“That still seems too cheap,” said Emily with a shake of her head.   
“I will not go higher than seventy dollars. Take it or leave it.”   
Emily sighed. “Fine, seventy dollars it is.”   
“Sold!” said Mr. Faber triumphantly as he walked back to the counter and rang up her order.  
Izzy laughed. “Listen to us! Most people are trying to get a bargain, we’re trying to give the guy the most money we can!”   
“My mother taught me that something made by hand is worth far more than anything so manufactured as it took time, effort, and they bought supplies out of their own pocket,” said Emily as she took the bagged item. “Especially more so when it’s made out of genuine care.”   
Mr. Faber smiled. “Your mother sounds like a wise woman.”   
Emily smiled back, a hint of longing and sorrow poking out from the corners. “She was.”   
Helen quickly changed the subject. “So, Nancy’s finally found something for her dad, Emily’s gotten something for the Inn, and we’ve gotten things for the Kovnas. Are we missing anything?”   
“I think that’s it,” said Ida with a shake of her head.   
“Then I think we should be off, we still have so much to do before the Kovnas get here!” said Helen, bouncing up and down with a squeal.   
“Then we’ll be seeing you around, Mr. Faber,” said Ida with a wave. “We’ll be sure to drag Nancy back so she’ll pay and we can browse!”   
Mr. Faber laughed as he waved. “Sounds great! You have a wonderful weekend! Thank you for stopping by!”   
“Bye!” the girls chorused with a wave of their hands before leaving the store.   
“He’s such a dear,” said Helen as they walked back to the car. “I’m so glad Nancy helped Mrs. Alexandra so we can find this place!”   
“And that because of it we all get half off?” said Izzy with a smirk.   
Ida scoffed at her twin as she wrapped an arm around Helen’s shoulders. “Oh goodness, we didn’t even get anything there!” But her eyes twinkled merrily. “Though half off might help.” The others laughed as talk turned again to the preparations for the Kovnas. But Nancy couldn’t help but recall the sorrow in Mr. Faber’s eyes when he spoke of the royal family. Did something bad happen to them? Maybe Katherine could clear that up. Nancy slid behind the wheel and pulled out of the driveway once everyone was buckled. But one question remained, would they even tell?


End file.
